The Box
by spoodle monkey
Summary: So now she knew she was hallucinating Ino recieves a slighty early birthday present. Not the best summary, but please read! INOSHIKA


Disclaimer: Sigh...dont own, but when i become rich and famous (and secretly control a hamster army) i shall own! yay!...until then...i dont own...

* * *

Okay, now she knew she was seeing things. It must have been the cake that Naruto had made for her birthday- even with Sasuke helping she knew she shouldn't have trusted it. And now she was having hallucinations.

"Ah Ino, we found this sitting outside- is there someplace we can put it, its kina heavy." Kiba shifted the large, colourfully wrapped box in his and Shino's arms slightly. Bright blue paper was wrapped around it with a large bow made of red ribbon donning the top.

"Um, yeah- in the living room, is that for me?" Some part of her rejoiced at the large present that had been delivered to her doorstep, while her inner voice was screaming about possible pranks and dead bodies.

"It's got your name on it, there's a card on top." Kiba lead the way up the stairs, Shino trailing behind, still supporting half the weight. "Um, Ino- is it gonna fit through your front door?"

Well there was a problem, it looked like the box was too wide to fit through the door, turning it wouldn't help, as it was square, all the sides seemingly the same length.

"We could raise it through a window." Shino suggested, lowering the box with Kiba to the ground and shaking his hands slightly to return the feeling to them.

"I'll be right back." She replied, disappearing into the house. She returned a few minutes later, dropping the end of the rope out the window for the two males to secure to the heavy box. Kiba appeared next to her soon after, grabbing a part of the rope, helping to raise the present.

"Geeze this is heavy!" The fanged teen grunted, as it slowly lifted off the ground.

"This had better not be one of Naruto's tricks again." Ino muttered, annoyed. "Oh! Watch out!" The rope slipped through her fingers, dragging Kiba forwards as the box fell a foot or two before Ino was able to regain her grip. "That was close."

"Yeah, sorry bout that Shino!" Kiba yelled out the window to the teen that had nearly become a pancake.

It took around five minutes, as the two, careful not to drop the box or let it hit the side of the house, hoisted it into Ino's large bedroom, depositing it next to the window.

"So, who sent it?" Kiba asked curiously, as Shino joined them in the room. Ino picked up the card, pulling it out of the envelope.

"Happy Birthday Ino, we decided to get you something…different this year. Love Sakura, Hinata, Sasuke, Naruto, Chougi and Lee." She stared suspiciously at the brightly wrapped gift, wondering if Naruto had somehow conned the others into pranking her on her birthday.

"It doesn't smell deadly, in fact it kinda smells…familiar." Kiba stated, sniffing suspiciously at the box. "But just in case, we've got a movie to get to- see you at your party tomorrow!" The two males waved, departing quickly, leaving her alone in her room with the box.

"Might as well open it now. " She decided, tugging at the ribbon.

"Ino! Can you run to the market and pick some stuff up for me?" Ino rolled her eyes, heading towards the stairs with a backwards glance at the gift. It would be there when she got back.

* * *

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries- what type of berry had her mom wanted? Hmm…strawberries it was then! Onto the next item on her list, last one too thankfully. Now, where did they sell icing sugar?

"Hey, Ino!" She glanced up, to see her blond friend bounce up to her, dragging a…sulking Sasuke behind? She was going crazy that had to be the explanation, first the box, now Sasuke sulking? If only she had a camera, blackmail material for life!

"Hi Naruto, Sasuke, are you okay?" The pout melted into a frown instantly as he nodded, then stared off into the distance at something or another.

"He's just grumpy 'cause I wouldn't buy the chocolate sauce for- mmph!" A hand covered Naruto's mouth, effectively cutting off whatever he was about to say.

"What did you think of your present, Ino?" Sasuke asked, hand still covering the blonds mouth.

"Um…I haven't opened it yet actually, my mom needed some stuff for a cake- not that yours wasn't very good!" She amended at Naruto's hurt expression.

"Wait- you haven't opened your present yet?" He asked, pulling the offending hand away from his mouth, Sasuke wiping the saliva off his hand from where Naruto had licked him.

"No, got Shino and Kiba to help me get it through my window though, it didn't fit through the door, nearly dropped it on Shino as well." She grinned, picking up a bag of icing sugar and placing it in her basket.

"You nearly dropped it! From your window!" She jumped, surprised at Naruto's yell. Around them people had stopped and were staring at the blond as he ranted. "You could have killed- ow!" Sasuke elbowed him hard in the ribs and by the look of it, it would leave a mark. "Teme, what the hell was that for?!"

Sasuke ignored him, turning his attention back to Ino. "Perhaps you should return home and open your present. Sakura and Hinata really would like to know if you like it or not." She nodded; getting the distinct feeling there was something they weren't telling her.

"Yeah, sure, I'll see you two at the party tomorrow." She waved goodbye, going to pay for her items, suddenly very curious to find out what was in that box.

* * *

The box was not in her room, it should have been sitting right next to the window, but it wasn't. All that was left was an empty space. She doubted it got up and walked out of there on its own, but knowing her friends, anything was possible.

"Mom, were you in my room?" She called down the stairs, searching through her closet for the small chance it had somehow gotten shoved in there, even with its size.

"Are you looking for that present? The large blue one with the bow?" Her mother walked up the stairs, stopping in the doorway to her room. Ino nodded, stepping out of her closet. "Your father moved it downstairs to the living room, with the other presents you got."

"Great!" Turning, she slid past her mother, taking off down the stairs, two at a time. Curiosity had overridden her suspicion about half an hour ago.

"Shouldn't you wait to open it? You could open it at your party tomorrow; let all of your friends see it." Ino rolled her eyes, stopping next to the box.

"I ran into Naruto and Sasuke at the market, they seemed to want me to open it as soon as possible."

She could hear her mother sigh, which meant she had won. "Alright, then, it's your gift. Your dad and I are going out to a meeting; we'll be back later tonight."

"Okay mom." She heard the door open, and then close signaling that she had the house to herself. Now to see what the big deal was with this box.

Tugging off the bow she tore at the blue paper, until all that was left was a large card board box with…air holes? Suddenly finding herself wary of what lay inside, she reached over slowly, pulling back the folds to reveal-

"Shikamaru?! What the hell?" The brunette glanced up, squinting in the sudden light. Her friend sat, cross legged, inside the box, a water bottle and a few empty wrappers along with a worn book lay scattered around him.

"Hey Ino." He yawned, stretching slightly, still sitting, and leaning against the cardboard.

"Shika, what are you doing in a box?" She asked slowly, suddenly suspecting that she wasn't the one that had gone insane, but everyone else had. Wait, he was in the box- uh oh, they had nearly dropped the box out the second floor window…better to just not tell him whose fault that was, but onto more important matters. "And why is the box supposed to be my birthday present?"

"Troublesome." He sighed, standing up slowly, shaking his legs as though to get the feeling back into them. "_I am your present._" It was then she noticed the bow tied around his neck in purple ribbon. It was a dream, a very strange and vivid dream- that was the only explanation. Shikamaru continued at her blank look, climbing unsteadily out of the box. "The others kidnapped me, deciding I should be your birthday present."

This was a horrible, horrible, cruel joke and she was going to make sure the others paid dearly for this. But what if it wasn't a joke?

"So, what do you think?" He shifted and even with his bored expression he looked uncomfortable. What did she think? Of finding the boy she had had a crush on for the past year inside a birthday present meant for her? What did she think?! She thought…

"This is the best present I've ever gotten." Ino replied, taking a chance and sliding her arms around her startled friend's shoulders, standing on tip toe to press a kiss against his lips. She grinned as she felt him respond, oh yes, best birthday yet. Strangest, but still the best. She'd have to thank the others later.

END


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